YHA New Zealand Meets the Demands of the Modern Backpacker

Media Release

22 December 2015

YHA New Zealand Meets the Demands of the Modern Backpacker

By YHA New Zealand

Queenstown – YHA New Zealand reopened its YHA Queenstown Lakefront hostel today after several months of refurbishment and upgrades to meet the rising expectations of modern backpackers.* The hostel accommodates 35,000 customers every year and is a significant contributor to the local visitor economy.

YHA New Zealand Hostel Operations Manager, Simon Cartwright, says the refurbishment is a major improvement on Lakefront’s previous offering. “We have stripped back and refurbished bedrooms and added electronic key card entry. We’ve completely reconstructed and refurbished the kitchen, dining areas and guest laundry and rebuilt internal walls to ensure quieter spaces for guests. Main guest bathrooms have been upgraded and the guest drying room relocated and constructed.” A few finishing touches and upgrades will see the hostel refurbished in full by June 2016.

YHA New Zealand Southern Area Manager, Marilyn Welsh, worked closely with the build team in Queenstown. Marilyn says, “The work done by Wanaka builders, Worthingtons Landcare has been fantastic as we witness them transform our hostel – a tired old lady – into a blossoming debutante.”

Refurbishing gateway hostels is part of YHA’s wider commitment to deliver the best possible backpacker accommodation product in New Zealand. YHA opened their new Christchurch hostel in November 2014. An upgrade to YHA Auckland City in 2016 will closely follow the Queenstown Lakefront refurbishment. A new hostel will be built in Lake Tekapo in 2017.

YHA will continue to invest in maintaining and upgrading existing hostel facilities on a smaller scale across the network.

*Additional commentary about the modern backpacker

In a world of online reviews and 100% transparency of service, it is critical to keep up with the growing demands of youth travellers. Competition is not local but global and new entrants, such as Generator Hostels in Europe, have a big influence on guest expectations around the world.

YHA New Zealand remains one of the leading backpacker networks in New Zealand and has a high satisfaction rating with over 92% of guests stating they would recommend YHA. However, retaining that satisfaction requires continued investment and attention to market needs. YHA maintains its backpacker focus on quality facilities and comfortable rooms by increasing ensuite room stock while recognising customer demand for shared facilities is still very high.

Visiting New Zealand is not cheap. Many youth travellers are from affluent backgrounds and use the affordable backpacker style accommodation to allow them to spend up large on ‘once in a lifetime’ experiences. While they may not spend much on accommodation there is still a high expectation of good quality, clean and comfortable accommodation. YHA New Zealand’s challenge is to meet that expectation in a way that enables a return on investment so future refurbishments and updates are achievable. YHA Queenstown Lakefront is a superb example of how that challenge is being met and exceeded.

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